Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: A New Direction for Community Services

White Paper Jan 2006

The white paper identifies five clear areas for change:

• More personalised care. Personalised care will be driven by better access and more funding following the patient

• Services closer to peoples home's. Services will be brought closer to peoples homes through investment in community hospitals and facilities and shifting care safely away from hospital

Procedures that could once only take place in hospital can now take place in the community

We want our hospitals to excel at the services only they can provide, while more services and support are brought closer to where people need it most

• Better co-ordination with local councils

• Increased patient choice

• Focus on prevention as much as care. Prevention of illness will be targeted with several measures, including the establishment of more healthcare teams to deliver better care across institutional boundaries

            We will increase the quantity and quality of primary care services through  nationally   supported procurement of new capacity with contracts awarded by local PCTs